Cristiano Ronaldo has been offered an unlikely escape route from his Real Madrid nightmare - with former teammate Pepe urging him to join him in Turkey with Besiktas.

Los Blancos' all-time record goal scorer has endured a miserable start to the season, scoring only once in eight La Liga games and Zinedine Zidane's side already find themselves ten points behind runaway leaders Barcelona.

Their form has led to talk of unrest within the squad, with Ronaldo coming under fire having allegedly had rows with Karim Benzema and captain Sergio Ramos.

His form in front of goal has left Ronaldo dejected (Image: REUTERS)

And with an exit from the Spanish capital now looking more likely than ever, Ronaldo's former compatriot Pepe has encouraged him to join him at Besiktas, who are on the rise globally and are going for a hat-trick of league titles this year.

Speaking to CNN, the 34-year-old said: "If I could choose and if it were possible, of course I would like for Cristiano to come here.

"He's a person for whom I have maximum respect."

Pepe moved to Turkey after spending a decade at the Bernabeu (Image: @Besiktas/Twitter)

Pepe spent ten years at Real, eight of those alongside Ronaldo, but moved to Turkey in the summer and believes the five time Ballon d'Or winner would enjoy the unique atmosphere Super Lig matches offer.

He said: "Turkish people live football, football is a passion of theirs. It's like nothing I've experienced before."

For Pepe to get his wish, Besiktas would have to see off competition from the likes of Manchester United and PSG who are continually linked with signing Ronaldo.